DAVENPORT, Iowa--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep. 28, 2012--
Bill Masterson Jr., publisher of The Times Media Company of Northwest
Indiana and a group publisher for Lee Enterprises, Incorporated (NYSE:
LEE), has been promoted to vice president of publishing.
In his new role, he will continue as publisher in Northwest Indiana and
will join three other publishing vice presidents who oversee Lee’s print
and digital operations in more than 50 markets across 23 states. He
succeeds Michael R. Gulledge, who has taken leadership of Lee’s
companywide sales and marketing initiatives.
“Bill exudes enthusiasm, energy and innovation, and he leads
convincingly by example,” said Mary Junck, Lee chairman and chief
executive officer. “He embodies our company’s core values of advancing
strong local news coverage, delivering indispensable value for customers
and providing meaningful community leadership. Also, publishers
throughout our company have benefited from sales and audience programs
he and his teams have developed.”
Masterson, 51, joined Lee in 2000 as publisher of the Rapid City
Journal in South Dakota. He advanced to publisher in Northwest
Indiana in 2006 and became a group publisher in 2011, also overseeing
Lee operations in Kentucky, South Carolina and South Dakota.
Among his comments: “I am extremely excited to assume these additional
duties that allow me to continue to live in Northwest Indiana while
playing a larger role in the direction we take our company during these
exciting and innovative times.”
He has held the title of publisher for nearly 25 years, first named to
that position at age 27 as publisher of the Black Hills Pioneer
in Spearfish, South Dakota. He began his newspaper career as a carrier
for the Daily Oklahoman in Oklahoma City, where in 1976 he was
selected as Parade magazine’s Young Columbus Carrier of the Year and was
awarded the key to the city of Lawton, Oklahoma.
During his time as publisher of the Rapid City Journal, the
newspaper received a Lee President’s Award for news coverage, and in
2004 he was individually honored with a Lee President’s Award for
Innovation for his efforts to sell political advertising. Among many
community and industry activities in Rapid City, he served on the board
of directors for the South Dakota Newspaper Association for seven years
and was president in 2002.
Since coming to Northwest Indiana, Masterson has been active with
efforts to unite a diverse region. He was responsible for creating a
movement called “One Region: One Vision,” bringing together leaders of
the many varied interests of the area. He also serves on the executive
board of directors for the Barden Gary Foundation and the Boys & Girls
Clubs of Northwest Indiana, where he is leading a campaign to build a
new Boys & Girls Club and Community Center in Gary. The Times
was recognized in 2008 as the fastest-growing English-language newspaper
in the country. In 2008 and 2010, The Times received three Lee
President’s Awards and in 2010 was honored as Lee’s “Enterprise of the
Year.” In 2011, The Times was chosen as one of the top 10
newspapers in the country that “Do it Right” by industry trade magazine Editor
& Publisher.
He and his wife, Julie, reside in Valparaiso, Indiana. They have six
children and three grandchildren.
Lee Enterprises is a leading provider of local news and information, and
a major platform for advertising, in its markets, with 48 daily
newspapers and a joint interest in four others, rapidly growing digital
products and nearly 300 specialty publications in 23 states. Lee's
newspapers have circulation of 1.3 million daily and 1.6 million Sunday,
reaching nearly four million readers in print alone. Lee's websites and
mobile and tablet products attracted 22.2 million unique visitors in
June 2012. Lee's markets include St. Louis, MO; Lincoln, NE; Madison,
WI; Davenport, IA; Billings, MT; Bloomington, IL; and Tucson, AZ. Lee
Common Stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol
LEE. For more information about Lee, please visit www.lee.net.
Source: Lee Enterprises, Incorporated
Lee Enterprises, Incorporated
Dan Hayes, 563-383-2100
dan.hayes@lee.net
